INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL AND SUBPOPULATION FACTORS ON THE CONTENT OF TRACE EMENTS IN SALIVA

Background. Determination of the trace elements composition of saliva may be a promising approach for non-invasive health monitoring. However, the possible influence of a number of factors on the content of trace elements limits such studies. Aim. To study of the influence of individual and subpopulation factors of donors on the content of trace elements in saliva. Materials and methods. The results of the determination of elements in the whole saliva of 60 donors by direct (without digestion) analysis by arc atomic emission spectrometry using the dry residue technique are presented. Results. The distribution of concentrations in the sample for Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si, Ti, Zn obeys a lognormal law, therefore the geometric mean or median is preferable as an indicator reflecting the average value. The distribution of Ca and P concentrations obeys the normal law. The content of Si and Ti is lower in the saliva of young men compared to women; the opposite pattern is observed for Mn. The mean Ag content in saliva is higher in the group of smokers compared to non-smokers. An increase in the number of teeth affected by caries correlates with increased concentrations of Cu, Al and Zn in saliva. For a number of analytes interelement correlations were revealed, in particular, between the concentrations of Ca and P. Conclusion. The study of such factors of influence makes it possible to more correctly determine the normal concentration ranges in each specific clinical case.